Pushy Communicators

[tlmgcamp]

Not an RV issue, unless you are a full-timer and work from your rig.

I review land development applications for municipal Planning Boards. With that I need to deal with the applicants and their professionals (attorney, engineer, architect, etc). I then need to deal with the contractor who eventually building the thing. Lately, as recent as yesterday, I get somebody who uses every form of communications to try to reach me without giving ma a chance to respond before trying another route.

Yesterday's example:

I just returned to my desk with my lunch (reheated homemade lazagna...yum) when my office phone rang. I saw who it was, decided that he would wait until I finish my lunch which would be in 15-20 minutes. About a minute later, the same person called my cell phone, and my response was the same. Antother minute or two later I saw an email pop up from the same person. At that point I decided that he would not only wait until I was done with my lunch, but would now wait until the next business day for being annoying.

Last week, the another guy called me 4 times in the course of about 20 minutes (I was already in a Zoom meeting) and never left a message. When I called him back I asked why he thought that he needed to call me 4 times rather than just leave a voicemail and he said that he preferred to talk to me live.

Looking for opinions here...I find this behavior to be very unprofessional and downright annoying. Does anybody share my feelings on this or am I just being a curmudgeon?

 

[SeilerBird]

The phone has become a disaster area.

 

[Old Mud]

You may now be experiencing the "Me Me" generation. So many folks think they are all that counts and as long as their hooked up to that phone 24/7 everybody else should be also .

 

[Ray-IN]

Regrettably people have gotten used to being ignored by business's and automated phone systems.
For instance, now you cannot call CVS pharmacy, you must leave a message and they will return your call within an hour if possible, per the recording. Hanging around waiting for a call-back is not a good use of time.
As SellerBird said, "disaster".

 

[tlmgcamp]

The first time it happened I didn't have the person in my contacts so all I saw was a number. After 3 calls in 5 minutes I thought that this could be a friend of DW or of one of my daughters trying to tell me that something bad had happened. Again, on a Zoom call at the time and asked the other attendees to excuse me for a moment to check. I was none too pleased and informed the PIA caller that if he didn't want me to block his number to limit him to email communication only he should not do that again.

 

[DutchmenSport]

If communications is part of your job and your business depends upon it, then answer the phone, regardless of what you are doing. No one knows you are on a lunch break, and actually, no one cares. But if you don't respond, you will loose their business.

Otherwise, forward your phone to someone who can /and will / take the messages while you are not available. Again, if this is your business, then yes .... answer the phone.

 

[Matt_C]

It is comforting to know that I am not alone in being annoyed by people that seem to believe that your phone is for their use alone and none else matters.
If you call and leave a message on my business line, I will return your call and possibly answer your question. With suppliers in Europe and Australia, sometimes answers can take a while. .....
Matt_C

 

[tlmgcamp]

If communications is part of your job and your business depends upon it, then answer the phone, regardless of what you are doing. No one knows you are on a lunch break, and actually, no one cares. But if you don't respond, you will loose their business.

Otherwise, forward your phone to someone who can /and will / take the messages while you are not available. Again, if this is your business, then yes .... answer the phone.

I typically answer the phone when it rings. However, when I am in the middle of a conversation or meeting I feel that it would be rude to put that conversation or meeting "on hold" so I can answer the new phone call, that's what voicemail is for.

 

[DeckArtist]

I feel the pain and agree it's anti-common-sense to call over and over. But that said, if your business is by phone, text and email like mine, it's best to answer quickly so they don't pester ya.

 

[Alaskansnowbirds]

What message does the caller hear when their call goes to voice mail? Maybe change it to something like,

"Sorry I can't take your call. I'm currently talking to another client. Please leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as possible."

 

[RedForeman]

Looking for opinions here...I find this behavior to be very unprofessional and downright annoying. Does anybody share my feelings on this or am I just being a curmudgeon?

I agree, fellow curmudgeon. IF it's anyone worth calling back eventually, I'm sure to tell them what a pest they are. If not, I just block them and carry on.

 

[darsben]

VOICE MAIL has become another word for ignoring people. it infers that your time is more valuable than my time and I should sit home until you call my phone. Yet usually I AM the customer .I don't like voicemail and usually refuse to leave a message. I will try alternate methods to get in contact with a real person.

 

[Skookum]

Answer the phone, or don't. But don't get mad when someone who needs and depends on you tries to reach you in multiple ways, if they are a customer. That's your job, and although you do deserve a lunch break, I don't think it's fair to punish someone -- especially if you work in any kind of public sector. Perhaps lunch break should be taken where the phone/email can't bother you?

 

[RVfixer]

When I was working I didn't believe in making business contacts hear a message to leave a message. I hired a secretary to field the calls and politely tell them about when I would be available to call them back or she would interrupt me if the call was super urgent.

What I really hate is going into a store and starting to tell the clerk what I need and the store phone rings. The clerk holds up a finger to tell me to wait and answers the phone. This, having me wait for a phone customer, happened a few times in a row the other day and I walked out and went across town to a different store where they had enough people to field the phone calls and wait on a live customer at the same time.

My neighbor had a similar experience in a auto parts store. He went home and called the store and asked the price of the item he waited. Then he replied, "OK, great...I'll buy it somewhere else since you only wait of phone customers and hung up.

 

[UTTransplant]

I am amazed that so many people are saying a small business phone should always be answered immediately. What if the person is working with another customer? What if they needed to go to the restroom? What if they are heavily involved in a creative enterprise that needs their full concentration? What if they are engaged in something that is hazardous? Voice mail exists for a reason folks. Now if I leave a message and no one calls me back for days, I mark that business off my list and go to the next.

 

[Chef Duane]

When calling someone; depends upon the nature of the call.
If it's just to relay information I'll call, relay the information, and not expect a call back. If I need to speak with someone and it goes to VM I just leave a message asking them to call me back along with the details about why I called. If they don't call back I'll call again (depending upon the urgency of the situation) and leave a message stating that I'll assume that by not calling back you're not interested in (what I called about) and I'll proceed as I see fit.

If someone calls me and leaves a message asking me to call them back I expect them to leave a short message about why they called me. I hate the "Hi, it's Ralph.. Please call me back" message when I know no one named Ralph. It that situation I never call back. If they leave a message about a "new and exciting investment opportunity" (or whatever) I typically don't call back. If it's a message about some business I am conducting I'll call back. If I get a call that does not leave a message I ignore it. If it wasn't important enough for them to leave a message it's not important enough for me to call back.

Sometimes I get multiple calls from numbers that don't leave a message. I just let them go and find it entertaining to see how many times they'll call before they give up.

Most emails I get are adverts, spam, and unsolicited, and go right to the delete bin. If I'm interested I might take a look at it but NEVER open any unknown or unsolicited attachments.

I do maintain 2 separate numbers for security purposes. My second career as a deep cover operative requires it. One is my personal number that I give to friends, family, and business associates. The other number is a one I give to all others who demand telephone number to conduct business. Also, that I sometimes use for when I know that who I'm calling will be harvesting my number for solicitation purposes.

When you call my number my message is "Hello, you've reached xxx-xxx-xxxx. Please leave a message." Simple and sweet.

I think that about covers it. If anyone has any questions or requires additional information please call me at 867-5309.

 

[Tulecreeper]

I would have waited to call them back, also. Although I too prefer to talk to a person live rather than leave a voicemail.

My cell phone is strange. If I don't hear a call (phone in another room), it will go to voicemail and it will give me one (1) notice that I have a message. There is no way for me to make it give me more than one notice. If my phone is off when the call comes in it also goes to voicemail, but when I turn it back on it won't give me even one notice. And since I get very few actual phone calls anymore, I never bother to check my voicemail.

I had a dental appt a couple weeks ago. The day before, they called and left me a message which I either didn't hear the phone ring, or my phone was off at the time. I did not know that until the next morning when I showed up for my appt.

An example of how few phone calls I get. In Aug of 2023 I just happened to be scrolling thru my settings and saw I had a voicemail. Apparently, the wife of a deceased friend called and left me a message...in April, 4 months prior. It was the only voicemail on the list.

 

[Wasillaguy]

If your business is flood remediation, better answer the calls.
Most other service type small businesses that deal with the public like auto repair, garage doors, lawn guy, pool guy, etc. it depends how bad you need work. Because most people aren't going to wait long for a callback if there's a list of competitors.

 

[rjshiflet]

What I really hate is going into a store and starting to tell the clerk what I need and the store phone rings. The clerk holds up a finger to tell me to wait and answers the phone. This, having me wait for a phone customer, happened a few times in a row the other day and I walked out and went across town to a different store where they had enough people to field the phone calls and wait on a live customer at the same time.

I have walked out of many a store for this reason. And, more than once I've had the store owner/worker actually put the phone caller "on hold" to ask why I was leaving. They just don't get it.

If they want to grab a call and immediately ask the caller to hold, that's one thing. But to give me the "one-finger HOLD" indication then chat with someone on the phone...I'm outta there.

As a society, unfortunately business (and personal) etiquette is becoming a lost art.

Of course, so is proper grammar, spelling, simple math and so many other skills that we once had.

 

[John From Detroit]

Sometimes a call is important but hey it goes both ways. how many times have you called a company only to hear something like the fictional (So far) Script below?

Thank you for calling 9-1-1.. Your call is important to us
To help us to better serve you please choose from the following menu

NOTE: Please listen completely to all our menu options as our menus have recently changed.

To report a Fire press 1
To report a theft press 2
To report a mugging press 3
To report a home invasion press 4
To report an assault press 5
To report an stolen auto press 6
To report a traffic accident press 7
To report a hazardous spill press 8
To report a death or murder press 9
(It goes on to like 3 levels of menuss if you are reporting a natural death please remain on the line and the first ....)


If the call is truly important. HUMAN PLEASE not a robot.

(I actually got paid to write that. Yup. Published author I am, I am, Published author I am)